Army stretcher



y ,1 E. FRIEDLAENDER 2,348,210

ARMY STRETGHER Filed Jan. 19, 1942 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR a /WMII(7 May 9, 1944. E. FRlE DLAENDER ARMY STRETCHER Filed Jan. 19, 1942 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented May 9, 1944 i ARMY STRETCHER Ernest Friedlaender, Detroit, Mich., assignor to H. A. Todd and Robert A. Sloman, Detroit,

Mich., jointly Application January 19, 1942, Serial No. 427,267

' 6 Claims. (01. 296-20) This invention relates to an army stretcher and more particularly to a mechanism for aiding in the transportation of said stretcher by an attendant at each end thereof. The invention herein resides in an apparatus whereby a large percentage of the Weight is borne by a retractable resiliently mounted undercarriage provided with separately mounted wheels for rolling along the ground.

It is the object of this invention to provide an undercarriage for a stretcher or to which a stretcher may be attached whereby as much as 80% of the load is borne by said carriage.

It is a further object of this invention to provide a resiliently mounted undercarriage which may be pivoted into inoperative position when the stretcher is lowered for laying down or removing the patient thus taking very little space, which is equally important for transportation.

It is a still further object of this invention to provide a suitable locking means whereby said undercarriage may be secured in inoperativ pos1 1011.

It is a still further object of this invention to provide for a rolling stretcher of such a light Weight that it can easily be lifted by two men when soft ground, or sand or mud makes rolling impossible.

This invention relates to the various arrangements of elements and their combinations as more fully set out hereinafter in connection with the following specification and appended drawings of which:

Fig. 1 is a side elevational view of the stretcher and undercarriage.

Fig. 2 is a partially sectioned front elevational view of the same.

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary elevational view of the resilient undercarriage mounting,

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary side elevational view of the undercarriage locking mechanism in locking position.

Fig. 5 is a front elevational View of the same.

The above drawings are merely by way of illustration, it being intended that various other embodiments of the invention are possible within the scope of the claims hereinafter set out.

Referring to Fig. 1 a stretcher II is shown of any conventional type consisting of a pair of parallel bars with a suitable intermediate inter-connecting body support made of canvas or other material.

A pair of downwardly depending vertically disposed rests l2 and I3 are provided for engagement at their bottom ends with the ground, while the upper ends thereof have transversely secured thereto suitable sleeves l4 and I5 adapted for attachment to the stretcher l I.

Rests l2 and I3 as shown in Fig. 2 are suitably inter-connected'by a tube [6 or other supporting member thereby providing a rigid body.

Wheels l1 and i8 arerotatably disposed on the end of the two levers l9 and respectively which are adapted to resiliently support said stretcher in the manner more fully set out hereinafter.

Rests l2 and I3, as best seen in Fig. 2, are longitudinally slotted to receive the ends of the cantilevers 2| and 22 which are pivoted respectively to shafts 23 and 24 which are themselves mounted within suitable brackets 25 and 26 secured to the rests l2 and I3.

The upper ends of the levers l9 and 20, which are preferably hollow, are adapted to be connected or joined in any suitable manner to the .33 which have on their threaded ends suitable nuts 34 for retaining at the ends of said bolts the Washers 35.

A suitable coiled spring 36 is journaled on the bolts 33 and is interposed between the washers 35 and the plate 31;

Thus it is seen that the two levers l9 and 20 which carry the wheels I! and I8 respectively are pivotally mounted below the stretcher and are joined to the rests I2 and I3. It is further seen that said levers are resiliently mounted to said stretcher and are adapted to rotate counter-clockwise compressing the coiled springs 36.

When the stretcher is brought into rest position by pressure the levers l9 and 20 are pivoted around points 23 and 24 into inoperative position and at the same time wheels I! and 18 provide a suitable additional rest for the stretcher opposite from the rests l2 and I3 in the manner hereinafter set out.

By virtue of this resilient suspension of the undercarriage it is necessary that said levers be locked in this position to prevent the release of the springs 36 when the patient is lifted from after the axles H and i8 have entered the Thus it 7 recesses in the bottom portion thereof. is seen that the axle forces the pawl upwardly and as soon as said axles have cleared said pawl, the same is free to return to the initial position closing off the passage and thereby preventing Suitable latching mechanisms are other ends of said levers, and resilient means remote from said wheels interposed between said rests and the ends of said cantilevers, adapted to normally urge and maintain said wheels in spaced relation to said stretcher.

3. The combination with a stretcher having a pair of rests for one end thereof; of a retractable undercarriage for further supporting said stretcher, consisting of a pair of independently suspended levers with wheels journaled on the ends thereof, cantilever members joined on the opposite ends thereof slidably disposed through slots in each of said rests, and pivotally joined any downward movement of said axles while the stretcher is in inoperative loading or unloading position. r

In order to release the axles H and i6 pawl 49 must be manually elevated thereby opening up said passage; and this is accomplished by a conventional spring type cable'l joining said pawl member and extendingupwardly and along the carriage for manual actuation by one of the stretcher bearers.

It will be noted that each of the wheels ll and !8 are separatelymounted and consequently in traveling over uneven "or irregular ground the tilting movements of the said levers are independent of each other.

Having described my invention reference should now be had to the claims which follow in determining the scope thereof.

I claim:

l. The combination with a stretcher of rests joined thereto for supporting one end'thereof;

and a retractable undercarriage for further supporting. said stretcher consisting of levers independently pivoted to said rests, wheels journaled ther supporting said stretcher when in loading position, and to separately support the same when in operative position, consisting of independent levers with cantilevers onthe ends thereof disposed through slots in said rests and pivotally joined thereto, wheels journaled on the thereto, bolts slidably disposed through each of said rests with one end thereof pivotally joined to the outer ends of said cantilevers, and resilient means retained on said. bolts and interposed between the other ends thereof and said rests respectively.

4. The combination with a stretcher of rests joined thereto for supporting one end thereof; and a retractable undercarriage for further supporting said stretcher consisting of levers independently pivoted to said rests, wheels journaled on the ends of said levers, resilient means remote from said wheels interposed between said rests and said levers adapted to normally urge and maintain said wheels in spaced relation to said stretcher, and adjustable means on said bolts for regulating the tension of said resilient means.

5. The combination with a stretcher of rests joined thereto for supporting one end thereof; and a retractable undercarriage for further supporting said stretcher consisting of levers independently pivoted to said rests, wheels journaled on the ends of said levers, resilient means remote from said wheels interposed between said rests andsaid levers adapted to normally urge and maintain said wheels in spaced relation to said stretcher, and means in said rests adapted to limit the outward movement of said resiliently mounted levers.

6. The combination with a stretcher of rests joined thereto for supporting one end thereof; and a retractable under-carriage for further sup porting said stretcher consisting of levers independently pivoted to said rests, wheels journ'aled on the ends of said levers, resilient means remote from said wheels interposed between said rests and said levers adapted to normally urge and maintain said wheels in spaced relation to said stretcher, and latching means depending therefrom engageable with said retractable under carriage for securing said wheels in retracted posiion.

' ERNEST FRIEDLAENDER. 

